Topic Overview

During the 5 to 6 days before and on the day of
ovulation, the
cervix produces a type of mucus that is stretchy,
slippery, thin, and clear. This quickly changes on the day after
ovulation.

About 24 hours before you ovulate, your luteinizing hormone (LH)
level rises. You can confirm that ovulation is approaching by testing your
urine for high LH with a home ovulation predictor kit. Note that an LH surge
can happen as close as 16 hours or as far as 48 hours before ovulation.

Just before an egg is released (ovulation), your basal body
temperature (BBT) decreases slightly; it then increases sharply 24 hours after
ovulation. After 2 to 3 months of carefully measuring and recording your BBT
every morning before getting out of bed, you may be able to identify a pattern
that helps estimate when you are ovulating.

If you have unusually long or short menstrual cycles of less than 21
days or more than 42 days, monitoring your cervical mucus is your best bet for
identifying your ovulation day. An ovarian monitor LH test won't work well for
you.

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